Gentle Spirit
by Jane McBrennen
Summary: AU. One day while Einon is out riding, he meets a beautiful peasant girl who, despite his best efforts, captures his heart. She soon teaches the cruel king what it means to truly love, but when she finds out who he really is will their love survive?
1. The Faerie Princess

**_Gentle Spirit_, a _Dragonheart _(Einon/Oc) fan fiction. **

**Chapter One: "The Faerie Princess." **

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**_Synopsis_: One day while out riding, Einon meets a beautiful peasant girl who, despite his best efforts, captures his heart. Although she is at first repulsed by his arrogance and obvious entitlement complex, she soon learns to care for Einon as well. But will Einon's lies tear them apart? Or will this gentle, spirited girl prove to be the only thing that can tame the heart of this wicked king?**

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It was dawn when Einon stormed out of the castle, trying to evade his mother's early morning whining over the state of the nation. Sometimes he had to wonder if she didn't care more for those wretched peasants than for him. It was certainly possible.

Einon barged into the stable and barked at the little sleeping stable boy to saddle his horse immediately, and to be quick about it if he didn't want a good whipping. The boy woke, startled, and saddled Einon's horse in record time. Einon mounted, kicking the boy to the ground.

"Tell anyone that you saw me and a good whipping will be the least of your worries. Do I make myself clear?" Einon said, leaning toward the boy menacingly. The boy nodded his head vigorously, terror in his eyes. Einon laughed at the child's fear and galloped away, making a mental note to whip the boy later anyway for amusement.

He galloped through fields and over hills, going fast and far as he could. He felt an inexplicable urge to just keep riding, and soon he was farther than he'd ever been on his lands. When he did finally stop, he found himself in a meadow filled with wildflowers. There was a tree about ten yards in front of him, with a stream next to it. He dismounted and went to take hold of the bridle when he heard a voice softly singing. It was the most beautiful thing he'd ever heard. He dropped the reins he'd been holding, and hypnotized, walked toward the voice which became louder and clearer with every step. He crept quietly up until the tree was directly in front of him and, ever so slowly, peeked around the tree until his eyes could just barely see the girl leaning against the trunk as she sang softly.

_She's like the swallow that flies so high _

_She's like the river that never runs dry _

_She's like the sunshine on the lee shore _

_I love my love and love is no more _

_*_

_Twas out in the garden this fair maid did go _

_A-picking the beautiful primrose _

_The more she plucked, the more she pulled _

_Until she got her whole apron full _

_*_

_Twas out of those roses she made a bed _

_A stony pillow she had for her head _

_She laid her down, no word did speak _

_Until this fair maiden's heart did break _

_*_

_She's like the swallow that flies so high _

_She's like the river that never runs dry _

_She's like the sunshine on the lee shore _

_I love my love and love is no more _

_*_

_I love my love and love is no more _

The girl finished even softer than she had begun, her head tilted sadly at a wildflower she twirled in her delicate, mud covered hands. While this girl had sung so sadly, Einon had been appraising her silently. He had taken in her tattered clothes, patched in many places; her shoeless feet; her long, shining coal-black hair, which hid her face from his examination; and her delicate hands, callused from years of hard work. She couldn't have been more than a child if her stature was anything to tell by.

Einon had been hypnotized by the sound of her voice, and had found himself unable to move before. But the song had ended and now he wished for nothing but to be a thousand miles away. Disappointment burned heavily in him. _She's just a child_, he thought bitterly, not certain what else he had expected her to be – not certain why he even cared. He was in a foul mood though, and when he got back to the castle, _someone_, he didn't care _who_, was going to be executed. Einon was just about to pull his head back around the tree when -

"Sad, wasn't it?" Einon froze. She couldn't possibly have heard him. He'd been so quiet. Her hair hid him from her line of vision, so he couldn't have been seen. Maybe she wasn't talking to him. Maybe she was crazy and was talking to herself-

"The song, I mean," she said, continuing her previous statement. "You know, I have the strangest ability of knowing when someone else is near when I can't see them. It comes in handy sometimes - like now." It barely registered in Einon's mind that she sounded nothing like a child before she looked up at him, hypnotizing him once again. _She's beautiful._ That was his first coherent thought. _And she's _not_ a child,_ was his second.

The girl's heart-shaped face was pale with the lightest sprinkling of light brown freckles, her emerald eyes, almond-shaped. Her nose was exactly right for her face, turning upward ever so slightly at the end. Her lashes were as dark as her hair and were so long that they touched her eyebrows. The girl stood, giving him full view of her figure. Shapely curves, a woman's bosom, and a slender waist. She didn't look quite sixteen and her beauty put to shame ladies and queens, sirens and goddesses, even Faeries and nymphs, if such creatures did exist. _With that voice of hers, her being a siren isn't all that far-fetched,_ he mused silently.

Einon suddenly became aware that he was no longer hiding behind the tree, and began to feel very exposed, as she was now returning the favor of his examination.

A strapping young man of twenty-six, slightly tall, and more than a little gangly, Einon had no illusions about his looks. With his reddish-orange hair and pinched face, he knew he wasn't handsome and never would be, and went out of his way to make sure any handsome men he met were no longer handsome after meeting him.

How could he compare to such a creature as beautiful as this? Even in his finest attire, he wasn't much to look at, and yet here was this divine angel, though dressed in mud and rags, looking like the Faerie Princess he knew she must be.

Once again, he wished for nothing more than to be a thousand miles away from that lovely peasant girl.

That same peasant girl smiled up at him, seeming to not notice the deficiency in his features.

"Your clothes suggest that you are a man of rank. Are you a knight?" the girl asked, tilting her head to the side in curiosity. Einon glanced at his clothes for a moment, and then looked back at her. The girl's eyes must have had some sort of hypnotizing power, if his answer were anything to judge by.

"Yes, I am," he said. He had not meant to say it, but the words just seemed to roll off of his tongue without any mind to what he wished. Without thought, he furthered his lie. "I am Sir… _Ethan._ From… a very distant land. I had been traveling for some time when I heard your voice. You must be a Faerie, for I cannot think how else I could have been enchanted so." The girl seemed rather pleased by his flattery, for her smile grew even wider, giving her an appearance of pixie-ish glee.

"May I ask Sir Knight, where you've left your shining armor today?" Einon, not understanding her joke, gave her a look of bewilderment, which only seemed to further her amusement.

"What? Do you not know Sir Knight? If you are to properly do your duty as a knight, you _must_ have a suit of shining armor! That is how it is in all the stories. The knight in shining armor rescues the damsel in distress. Then they marry and live happily ever after." The girl seemed to absolutely glow at the last part, but Einon was only further confused by her explanation. The girl seemed to catch on to his bewilderment.

"Have you never heard the story? Would you like me to tell it to you, Sir Knight? After all, how can you be a good knight if you do not know what your job entails?"

In five minutes this girl had completely captivated Einon to the point of distraction. Saying "no" to her never even crossed his mind. Instead, he sat down next to her, signaling that he wished to hear her story. Gleefully, she began her tale.

"Well, I suppose we should start at the beginning of the glorious tradition of knights rescuing damsels. Once upon a time, long ago, in a far and distant land, there lived a princess…"

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**A/N: I know, it sucked. Please review anyway. If you do, I'll mention you in the next chapter (yes, I'm bribing you). Please remember that this is a work in progress, and that I will be updating and modifying soon. Thanks for reading. **

**~ Jane McB. **


	2. Faerie Tales

_**Gentle Spirit **_

_**Chapter Two: "Faerie Tales." **_

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**A/N: Soooooooo sorry it took so long for me to get this up. I've been super busy. Our family is about to go bankrupt. :(****  
I'd go further into detail but I'm sure you don't want to get all depressed, so I'll just get on with the story after a quick mention of my reviewers: Cynnamon Spyce, two Anonymous reviewers, Swizzle4, Chocobasse, Moony1981, and Kayla. **

**Thank you all. **

_**~ Jane**_

**P.S.  
I want to dedicate this to all those who believe in true love at first sight (me, strangely enough, not being one of them). If you're not one of them, this probably won't be believable to you. But for all those who don't… don't worry. There'll be plenty of bumps on the way. Just to let you know, I'm smiling **_**very**_**wickedly right now. XD **

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_Last time on Gentle Spirit: _

"_Once upon a time, long ago, in a far and distant land, there lived a maiden…" _

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"…and they lived happily ever after." It had been over an hour and Einon hadn't moved from where he had sat since the lovely girl had begun her tale of romance and adventure. He had enjoyed it immensely, though he would have denied it to anyone else but her. She seemed to have as natural a gift with storytelling as she did with singing.

Einon watched her every movement. The sparkle in her eyes, the way she would use her arms and hands to help tell the story, the way she tilted her head when thinking how to continue. She simply seemed to glow, to radiate joy and happiness and life and everything good. He didn't understand it, but he was captivated by the magic of her nonetheless.

"Well, now that you know what your job of knighthood entails, do you intend to ride off to find a damsel in distress to rescue?" Einon let out a laugh of pure amusement. He'd never felt so light and carefree.

"Now why would I do that when there's a perfectly good damsel right here?" The girl blushed prettily, and laughed as well.

"Don't be silly. Knights only rescue maidens." The girl leaned forward conspiratorially. "You see, I'm a princess. A _Faerie_princess, at that. And only princes can rescue princesses. My mother said so," the girl said with a firm nod of her head as if that settled the matter. Einon laughed again but half regretted not telling her he was of royal blood, as she might view the matter differently then.

"How do you know that you're a Faerie princess?" Einon asked offhandedly. "If I may be so bold as to ask that is, your _highness_," he added, bowing his head to her with mock reverence.

The girl turned her head away and looked sad and thoughtful for a moment as she twirled a flower in her hand, looking out into the lake as if it held all the answers she needed. Einon was beginning to wish he hadn't asked when she looked at him again with a sad sort of smile.

"That's a story for another time, I think." The girl closed her eyes and held her face up to the warmth of fully risen sun. She seemed to remember something and a look of sheer panic crossed her face.

"Oh no! I'm going to be _late!"_The girl hurriedly got up and started running in the direction of a line of trees, startling Einon from his contented state. He too got up, and was about to run after the girl when she suddenly halted her run and turned around, running back in Einon's direction as though she had forgotten something. She came skidding to a stop on her toes in front of Einon, panting heavily.

"Will you be here tomorrow?" she asked breathlessly, a spark of hope in her eyes. Einon looked torn for a moment. _Would he?_ He hadn't really thought past the present. Tomorrow seemed as far away to him as the distant land she had spoken of.

"Well, I…" The look of hope seemed to suck him in. He felt like he could not have said 'no' if he had wished to… and he didn't.

"A dragon couldn't stop me."

The girl's eyes lit up in delight. In her jubilation, she stood on her tip toes and kissed his cheek, putting her hand on his shoulder to steady herself. Smiling happily, she ran off toward the trees again, leaping gracefully like a gazelle. Einon stood there in shock with his hand touching where she had kissed him.

A thought occurred to Einon, snapping him out of the trancelike state he had been in. He called after her.

"_Your_ _highness!"_

The girl stopped and turned around to look at him in confusion from about halfway between himself and the tree line.

"What is your name?" he called.

Even from that distance he could see her face break into a wry smile.

"Patience. My name is Patience." Einon smiled too. It couldn't have been more wrong for her. It was easy to tell that she was a fidgety, impatient sort of girl. He almost laughed outright. Rather than being offended by his amusement, Patience seemed to share it.

"I shall see you tomorrow, Sir Knight." She gave an elegant curtsy that belied her station, which Einon returned with a courtly bow. Once again Patience seemed to glow. She ran off again, looking back more than once. She seemed just as enchanted by him as he was by her.

Einon watched her form until he could no longer see her, and continued to watch for some time after. Finally, after a long time of staring into the uninhabited tree line, he shook himself from his reverie and went back to the spot they had occupied by the lake. It seemed so empty now with her gone. He felt this… _loss_ that he simply could not understand.

It irritated him. _A lot._

He pounded his fist petulantly on the tree that Patience had been leaning against such a short while ago. Looking around for something to kill, he spotted the flower that Patience had been twirling in her fingers while she told the story. His expression softened and he leaned down to pick it up. It was white… _pure_, like she was.

Still holding the flower in his hands, Einon leaned his head against the tree, not caring that moss would now be ingrained into his forehead. The _last_ thing he cared about at the moment was moss_._ He was tired, frustrated, and confused. He had far too many thoughts and feeling he was unaccustomed to, running about in his head without the slightest idea of how to put them in check.

Sighing, he pushed himself off the tree, and securing the precious flower in his belt, he untied the reins of his horse and mounted. He had a long journey back to the castle, but it was nowhere near long enough to deal with everything going on in his head.

When he left the castle that morning he had been trying to get away from his mother's messy emotions. Now he had his own to deal with.

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**A/N: What do you think? Please review. It's the only reason I keep writing. If you have any suggestions or comments on where you would like to see this go, I'd be more than happy to hear them. I'm not really sure where to go in the next chapter. I have a vague idea, but still. **

**Thanks for sticking with me. **

**Love, **

_**~ Jane**_


	3. True Love At First Sight

_**Gentle Spirit **_

_**Chapter Three: "True Love At First Sight." **_

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A/N: Hello, my lovely readers. Enjoy the new chappie!  
Reviewers:

_**Chocobasse, Anonymous, AvariceFal.**_

_**~ Jane**_

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Previously on Gentle Spirit:

"_Will you be here tomorrow?" _

"_A dragon couldn't stop me." _

"_What is your name?" _

"_Patience. My name is Patience."_

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Einon had been quiet all day. _Too_ _quiet_. Ever since he'd come back from his clandestine ride that morning he'd been quiet, thoughtful, and pensive, and… not quite himself. When he'd ridden through the castle gates, it had been easy to see that he was troubled, but unlike when he was usually troubled, he hadn't yelled at, beaten, or killed anyone. He was still sulky and pettish when he'd told everyone that he wished to remain undisturbed for the rest of the day. He hadn't spoken a word to anyone since then, and it had the entire castle on their toes. Even his mother, Queen Aislinn, dared not approach him, and Einon seemed more patient with her than any of them on a day to day basis.

Einon was now standing on a balcony in the highest tower of the castle. He twirled a white flower in his fingers, something he'd been doing all day. That was another thing that disturbed the castle's inhabitants, besides his ghost-like wandering of the castle halls; the flower. He'd been twirling that flower all day, looking at it strangely, almost with… affection? Confusion was evident in his face but it was the affection that unnerved everyone.

Einon looked at the sun set on the horizon, confused thoughts buzzing around in his head. He'd been thinking about Patience's story. Brave knights in shining armor, defending the helpless, upholding the weak, saving damsels in distress… It was like listening to Bowen rattle on and on about what a knight should be, but this time it didn't irritate him. He wanted it to. Irritation would be a relief from the guilt she managed to incite in him over his broken vows, to Bowen, to the dragon… to himself. He had tried so hard to push away thoughts of such things and simply focus on other matters. He'd tried distracting himself with the plans he had for finishing the building of his castle that he'd begun twelve years ago, but he was restless, and this time he had no Patience to tell him a story or soothe him with sweetly sad songs.

He sighed, holding the flower up to look at it again. He'd see her again tomorrow he knew… but did he want to? The feelings she incited from him were strange and unfamiliar. He felt guilt for deceiving her and for not being the knight in shining armor that she believed him to be. But more than that, he missed her. He'd never missed another being in his life, and after knowing her for little more than an hour he missed her. This sweet, strange, unearthly being that captured his fancy in so many ways.

He wanted her. If he knew one thing, he knew that. The only problem was that he didn't just want to bed her. He wanted _her_. _All_ of her. He wanted to see the sun dance upon her raven hair each morning when he awoke from his slumber. He wanted to go to bed each night looking into her eyes. He wanted to hear her chiming laugh every day, hear her sweet voice singing silly diddies about anything. He wanted to listen to her charming tales of bravery and love at first sight.

_Love at first sight…_

Never in his twenty-seven years had he before believed in such sentimental codswallop, and an hour with 'Princess' Patience and he had bloody lived it. If only she _were_ a princess. Then perhaps she wouldn't mind him being a king so much.

He couldn't believe that his being of royal blood was an actual _detraction_ to any woman, let alone a peasant woman. Einon laughed outright then, startling a passing servant girl into spilling the bucket of washing water she was carrying.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, your majesty!" the girl cried in distress, surely expecting a severe beating for her 'carelessness' as it was sure to be called. "I'm so clumsy…" The girl scrambled to sop up the water with her apron but it was of little use. There was far too much of it.

As Einon watched the girl struggle and mumble incoherent apologies, he had the strangest urge to go go to her and help her. He had to consciously stop himself from doing so, but the more he stood there and watched the girl's young, panicked face that reminded him too much of the girl that had occupied his thoughts for the entire day, he began to feel more and more guilty. He was easily able to imagine that the girl could be Patience, and he some other Lord or Duke watching her struggle without help or ease to her discomfort. The thought of Patience enduring the same treatment the girl had probably endured at his castle made his gut wrench and twist, and bile began to rise in his throat. For a moment he actually feared he might choke on it.

"My lord?"

Einon's head snapped up to see the girl's confused face staring up at him.

"Are you quite alright, my lord? Your face went so pale…"

"Leave me," Einon said quietly.

Without hesitation, the girl curtsied and left Einon to his muddled thoughts.

"What the devil is the matter with me!?" Einon roared, slamming his hand down against the castle wall. "I only saw her once… How could I feel all of this after only once?"

Einon's breating was heavy and labored, and his every thought was clouded with visions of Patience's divine face. His eyes, opened or closed, saw only her.

He couldn't help wondering if she even thought of him again that day…

~*P*~

Patience brushed sweat from her brow as she scrubbed the floors of the dark hall. The day seemed to drag on and on, much more so than usual. All she could think about was the handsome knight Sir Ethan, with his shining fiery hair. It was a dazzling color, to be sure. And the way his eyes danced when she told her little story! Patience had never been one for swooning but if she had it certainly would've been a good time for it. She was so enchanted with him that she could hardly concentrate on her work. After all, what were floors needing scrubbing to a brave, handsome knight like Sir Ethan, who lowered himself to pay attention to a little plain chit's stories?

Patience sighed wearily. Plain she was, and there was no argument for it. The people in the village called her Patience the Plain, though good-naturedly enough. Her father had nigh given up hope of ever getting her off of his hands and married, which was why when a position opened at Lord Ellingham's castle, he had immediately asked if she could have it. Being Lord Ellingham's stable master had some advantages. He wasn't even her father really. Just her step-father.

Patience's real father had died not long after her birth, her mother following seven years after. It had been when Patience was five that her mother had remarried, and not without some hesitation. Gavin Rhodes was a good enough man, to be sure, but Patience's mother, Annie's heart would always belong to her first husband.

Patience was terrible sad that she had never known her real father. She could still remember the stories her mother had told her about what a strong, brave man he was – much like the knights of the old code. Patience's mother and father had had what Annie had called 'the true and forever love' – the kind that lasts beyond the grave. More than anything, Patience wanted that. No one she had ever met had caught her eye – or heart – in that way yet – at least not until earlier that day.

Patience had a gift of knowing things about people, and if she knew anything Patience knew that Sir Ethan was her true and forever love. She didn't know how she knew. Perhaps it was the way she felt listless, and hot and cold all at the same time. Perhaps it was the way that she seemed to remember every single detail of his face, while she couldn't remember what she'd had for supper the evening before. Perhaps it was the way her heart seemed to pound into her chest so hard that it made breathing difficult. Or perhaps that, open or closed, all her eyes could see was his face. He had to have been the most exquisite creature she had ever laid eyes on! So tall and handsome, with his sparkling eyes, and oh, that _hair!_ She still couldn't forget about the way it had seemed to just radiate fiery light.

Somewhere in the back of Patience's mind, she knew that she was acting silly, entertaining thoughts about a man that would never look twice at her in that way. So what if he had stopped to listen to her song and her story? She was well-known around the village for that, and many people stopped to listen to her. It seemed to be the only thing about her that was worthwhile. Her looks certainly weren't…

Patience sighed as she continued scrubbing the already spotless floor listlessly. She didn't even notice that the noble Lord Brocklehurst, lord of the manor, was watching her from the doorway with a gleam in his eyes that was anything but noble.

**

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A/N: Hey. Super duper sorry it took so long so me to get this up. My life is anarchy. Rewiew and I'll give you a cookie… Okay, maybe not a cookie. How about I mention you in the next chapter? Good? So we're agreed then? You'll review? Oh, thanks so much! I really appreciate it!!!

_**~ Jane**_


	4. In Love

_**Gentle Spirit **_

_**Chapter Four: "In Love." **_

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**A/N: Again, I'm really sorry about the wait. We're moving, going bankrupt, lost our business, etc… Altogether, my life is rather insane right now, but God bless you for your patience. I'm happy to say that I haven't got a bad review yet, a fact that I'm very grateful for. Also, I just finished writing my first novel. I'll start revision soon. I don't quite know how I managed to get any writing done in the past year. Please forgive me for any discrepancies between the movie and my story, and by all means feel free to inform me of them. And I know that it's a short chapter, and I am really sorry for it. I'll try to do better next time.  
Thanks to all my readers, and most especial thanks to my reviewers: Chocobasse. **

_**~ Jane**_

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Einon dressed hurriedly as he watched the sun begin to rise outside his chamber windows. His heart seemed to be beating so loudly that he was afraid the sound of it would echo across the halls and inform the entire castle of his clandestine journey to see Patience again. When he finally tiptoed out of his room and down the halls, he scarcely dared breathe lest someone awoke and he be delayed in his journey, a thought too dreadful to entertain.

Besides, the sneaking was half the fun…

This time, Einon didn't bother waking the stable boy. He saddled his own horse, a feat not as easily accomplished as it appeared. And as he raced across the fields and brooks, all he could do was think about Patience.

_His faerie princess…_

***

Patience hardly slept a wink the entire night, so much was she anticipating her meeting with Sir Ethan. Her heart seemed to be flying on wings she didn't know she had, making anything but thinking about the knightly young man impossible.

Patience dressed while it was still dark. She wished to be at the spot where she would meet Sir Ethan early so that she could think of something clever and ladylike to say. To say the least, the poor girl needed all the time she could get to think on it…

She took especial care in her appearance. Patience was by no means vain, but this was one time that she made certain to look as well as she could in her pitiful dress, combing her hair back with her fingers, scrubbing her face with the icy cold well water, and making certain not to sit on anything too dirty. She had made a ninny out of herself the day before, what with her stories and song, but today she would at least try to be a lady – or as much of one as a commoner could be.

Lord Brocklehurst had given her step-father the cottage that they lived in. As Patience ran through the fields in front of the cottage, she looked over her shoulder to view it. It was the nicest habitation in the village, to be sure, but not somewhere that she could show Sir Ethan.

With a sigh, Patience turned her head back toward the path she was running, and soon she was in the clearing that she had had her first meeting with Sir Ethan.

She would not wait long for him…

***

Einon rode long and hard to find the place where he had first encountered Patience. It seemed eons to him before he finally spotted the familiar clearing, tree and brook from the day before. It was not yet sunup, but the dawn was close to breaking. He had tried to be at the spot before Patience so that he could think of something clever and impressive to say to her. Unfortunately, he was too late. He could hear her voice singing a sweet tune by the brook. As he listened his disappointment over not having been there first dissipated. Her song soothed him as he dismounted and tied his horse to a nearby tree.

_Over in Killarney  
Many years ago,  
Me Mither sang a song to me  
In tones so sweet and low.  
Just a simple little ditty,  
In her good ould Irish way,  
And l'd give the world if she could sing  
That song to me this day._

_Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,  
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, hush now, don't you cry!  
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,  
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, that's an Irish lullaby._

_Oft in dreams I wander  
To that cot again,  
I feel her arms a-huggin' me  
As when she held me then.  
And I hear her voice a -hummin'  
To me as in days of yore,  
When she used to rock me fast asleep  
Outside the cabin door._

Einon crept along the grass canopy beneath his feet, treading quietly as he could so as not to disturb the sweet singer. He poked his head around the tree closest to the brook as he had the day before, knowing that she would be sitting there in the predawn light. Once he beheld her though, his breath caught in his throat. Never before had he seen a sight as beautiful as the one before him. The dew had settled on her hair, and clothes, and skin, making it appear as though she were made up of millions of tiny stars sparkling in the growing light. And when she looked up at him with her great, sparkling diamond eyes, he felt… No other word could describe it. He felt love.

_He was in love._


	5. Why Her?

_**Gentle Spirit **_

_**Chapter Five: "Why Her?"**_

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**A/N: Sorry for the short chapter but I had to get **_**something**_** up. I was beginning to feel guilty for ignoring this one for so long. Hope you enjoy! :) **

**Special shout outs to: **_**Chocobasse, Amanda, **_**and most especially to **_**AlvariceFal**_** for an amazing review and a very helpful critique that was sent to my PM inbox. Thank you all very, very much. This is for you…**

_**~ Jane**_

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Patience was awed when she looked into his eyes, the early predawn light casting shadows over his handsome face. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew that she looked plain and very likely repulsive to the young knight. But when she was sitting there, looking up into his eyes she found herself swept away and incapable of caring what she looked like.

"Good morning, your majesty," Sir Ethan said, giving a slight bow, a devilish smirk playing across his features.

_Devilish, but oh so charming,_ Patience thought, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. She soon found herself incapable of holding herself back and leapt up, throwing herself into the young man's arms.

"Good morning to you, Sir Knight!" Patience's joyous voice exclaimed.

Sir Ethan didn't move or return her embrace. Every moment that Patience's arms stayed around Sir Ethan's neck and he didn't move made Patience terrified that she'd angered him. The thought that frightened her the most though was that he might be so angry with her that he might not come to see her again.

Slowly, Patience's arms slid down Sir Ethan's larger frame and came to rest and her sides whist she took a step away from Ethan to gauge his reactions. He seemed befuddled rather than angry. Confused, shocked even, but anything other than angry.

"Sir Ethan?" Patience said timidly. "I have not angered you, have I? I know that I should not have but I-"

Patience was cut off by the feel of Ethan's lips pressed desperately against her own in a kiss of wild abandon. Surprised but overjoyed, Patience threw her arms once again around her beloved knight's neck, kissing him back passionately, even if not skillfully.

As their lips met the sun rose above the horizon, lighting their world as their hearts were lit by the love they felt for one another. Neither noticed though that the sun had risen, nor that the dew was drying up, or that birds were singing praises to their maker. They noticed nothing but the feel of one another's skin, lips pressed against each other, and the silent but thundering beat of their hearts.

To them the world began and ended with that kiss. So when they parted, breathless and still clinging to one another desperately, it felt to them that the sun had never risen until they had kissed one another.

"Why me?" Patience whispered timidly, frightened that he would say that it had meant nothing, that he had only done it on a whim and it had nothing to do with her at all. "Why?"

***

_Why her? Couldn't she see? Couldn't she see how utterly and completely beautiful she was? He was ugly and awkward and she was an absolute angel, good and pure to her very core. Yet she asked, 'why her?' Why him, would be more appropriate!_

Einon wanted so badly to tell her everything. He wanted to tell her about how he hated being king, about how he hated the peasants and their stupid expectations of him making everything better. How he hated Bowen and The Old Code and everything his mother had taught him about dragons and the old ways of her people, how he hated the scar over his heart because it reminded him of every one of his empty, broken promises, and how even his own mother couldn't love the monster he had become.

But he couldn't. An angel, pure and good as herself would be repulsed by him if she knew that he was the king every peasant despised. He could never tell her the truth about being king, for he knew that she would despise him. She was so pure. To see past his appearance and look at him the way she was at that moment… Her soul must be untouched by vanity of any kind.

Why her? It would take a lifetime to tell, even if Einon could find the right words to say. He wanted to tell her that he loved her but the words seemed to stick in his throat. Instead he simply kissed her, hoping with all his being that his love somehow might be portrayed by his passionate, desperate kiss.

Even if she didn't understand what he meant, she took his silent answer with equal passion, wrapping her arms around his neck more tightly and pressing her body flush with his in a desperate attempt to get as close to his as she possibly could.

Einon prayed during that kiss that whatever powers that be would never allow him to lose his beautiful, beloved princess…


End file.
